Ring holders



Oct. 4, 1960 R. F. MATVELAN 2,954,593

RING HOLDERS Filed Oct. 27, 1958 win INVENTOR. Raymond E Marelan BY W ge F /ww m HIS A TTORWEYS 2,954,593 Patented Oct. 4, 1960 ice RING HOLDERS Raymond F. Matelan, 600 Archer Ave., McKeesport, Pa.

Filed Oct. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 769,664

2 Claims. (CI. 24-13) This invention relates to ring holders and, more particularly, to ring holders which are worn on a garment of a person and which are decorative pieces of jewelry.

At the present time, a number of young ladies who are neither married nor engaged wear a ring of a young man. The young lady does not wear the ring on a finger, but usually on a chain or necklace around her neck and sometimes pinned to her blouse. These young ladies are proud of their rings and wish to display them in an attractive manner but without risk of losing them and with out the ring being a nuisance to the wearer. They have found that a ring worn on a necklace or chain around their neck can be a nuisance because it swings around excessively. Where a ring is just pinned to a blouse, it is often not attractively displayed.

While some young ladies have used ring holders, they have found that the ring holders are not attractive and, more important, they did not prevent loss of the ring.

My invention provides a ring holder which safely and securely holds rings and from which a ring cannot be removed when the holder is worn on a garment. In addition, my ring holder is an attractive piece of jewelry and displays a ring to its best advantage. Specifically, my ring holder comprises a base member which has a front side and a rear side, with the rear side being opposite the garment on which the ring holder is worn. Connected to the rear side of the base member is one end of an arm, which arm extends along the rear side of the base member. On the rear side of the base member a loop is formed by the base member and by a part of the arm intermediate its ends. This part of the arm which cooperates to form the loop extends outwardly away from the rear side of the base member and then back towards the rear side, thereby defining the loop. The other end of the arm is free from connection with the rear side of the base member so that the shank of a ring can be passed into the loop. The base member has a part intermediate between the ends of the arm and disposed trans versely to the arm. This part of the base member has a dimension greater than the inside diameter of the ring.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation view of my ring holder showing a ring carried thereby;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the ring holder of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevation view of the ring holder of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of a modification of my ring holder.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, my ring holder comprises a decorative base member 1 such as a brooch or shield which, as shown, is heart-shaped. The base member can have almost any shape and may have a multitude of different designs. For example, instead of a heartshaped base, the base can be a diamond, oval, circle, hour-glass, star, pentagon, hexagon, etc.

There is one feature which the base member requires, namely, a part which has a dimension greater than the inside diameter of the ring placed on the holder. This part is located intermediate between the ends of an arm attached to the base member and to be described hereinafter. Also, this part of the base member is disposed transversely relative to the arm.

The base member has a front side 2 which faces outwardly from the garment to which the holder is attached and a rear side 3. The rear side is opposite the outside of the garment on which the ring holder is worn.

On the rear side of the base member is an arm 4 which has a segment 4a extending along the rear side and which has one end 5 afixed thereto. The other end 6 of the arm is opposite the rear side 3 and spaced apart therefrom. Preferably, the length of the segment 4a, which includes the other end 6 and a straight part and a curved part of the arm (to be described hereinafter), is greater than the inside diameter of a ring 7 carried by the holder.

The arm has a substantially straight part 8 which includes the other end and which straight part is spaced apart from the rear side of the base member and extends substantially parallel thereto to form a slot 9 with the rear side. The size of the slot is such that it receives the shank of a ring. The slot has an open end 10 where the other end of the arm is opposite the rear side of the base member.

The arm 4 has a curved part 11 which is connected to the straight part and which extends outwardly away from the rear side of the base member and then turns around and extends back to the rear side of the base member and terminates in the one end 5 of the arm which is afiixed to the base member as shown in Figure 2. The curved part in cooperation with the rear side of the base member forms a loop 12 and it is in the loop that the ring 7 is carried by the holder.

Figure 2 shows that the loop is connected to the slot so that the shank of a ring may be entered into the slot and then moved into the loop where it is positioned while the ring holder is worn on a garment.

Disposed on the arm is a conventional clasp device 13 for attaching the ring holder to a garment.

Referring to Figure 3, the base member 1 has a part 14 which has a dimension greater than the inside diameter of the ring. As shown in Figure 3, this part 14- is intermediate the ends of the arm and is disposed transversely to the arm so that the inside of the shank of the ring placed in the loop engages the periphery of the base member 1 and the ring cannot be removed from the ring holder by swinging it towards the front side 2 of the base member and moving it out of the loop and the slot. According y, this part 14 of the base member insures that a ring carried by the holder which is worn on a garment cannot be separated from the holder unless the holder is first removed from the garment. This is because the part 14 of the base member engages the inside of the shank of the ring and prevents the ring from being swung forward towards the front side and then lifted out of the loop and slot.

It is apparent that, when the ring holder is worn on a garment, the ring cannot be removed by swinging it back toward the rear side of the base member and then lifting it out of the loop and slot.

Figure 4 shows a modification of my ring holder where the straight part 8 of the arm 4 inclines from the curved part 11 of the arm toward the rear side 3 of the base member and does not form the open end slot of Figure 2, but a loop 15 into which the shank of the ring is entered. As shown, the arm 4 of Figure 4 has one end 5 affixed to the rear side of the base member and connected to the one end 5 of the arm is the curved part 11 which, in cooperation with the rear side of the base member, forms the loop 15. This curved part extends outwardly away from the rear side of the base member, curves around and connects with the straight part 8 which then inclines toward the rear side terminating inthe other end 60f the arm. While the other end 6 of the arm is located opposite the rear side 3 of the base member, it is not connected thereto. The length of the segment 4a of the arm, which segment extends along the rear side of the base member, is greater than the inside diameter of the ring.

The arm 4 of the modification of Figure 4 has the conventional clasp device 13 for attaching the ring holder to a garment.

To place a ring on the holder, one must first detach the holder from the garment and then enter the ring into the slot 9 and move it down into the loop 12 of the holder of Figure 2 or enter. it into the loop 15 of the holder of Figure 4.

Because the lengthiof the segment of the arm which extends along the rear side of the base member is greater than the inside diameter of the ring, one cannot remove the ring from the holder when it is attached to the garment byilitting the ring so that one part of the shank is able to slip over the free end 6 of the arm. Thus it is clear that, when my ring holder is worn on a garment, the ring cannot be removed therefrom.

My ring holder combines the features of a pleasing and desirable appearance with attractive display of the ring and with ability to prevent separation of the, ring trom the holder when the holder is worn on a garment.

While I have shown and described several embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that they are illustrative only and that my invention may be embodied otherwise within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ring holder for placement on a garment worn by a person comprising a base member having a front side and a rear side which is adapted to be opposite the garment when the ring holder is worn thereon, an arm disposed on the rear side of the base member, extending therealong and having one part including one end thereof spaced apart from the rear side of the base member, said rear side of the base member and said one part of the arm forming a slot therebetween of sufficient size for receiving a shank of a ring, a second part of said arm including the other end thereof being connected to said one part'of the arm, extending outwardly away from the rear side and then back towards the rear side and terminating with the other end being aflixed to the rear side, said second part of the arm and said rear side forming ;a loop which connects with the slot so that the shank of the ring which is entered into the slot may be moved into the loop, said arm being so located on the rear side that it lies wholly on the rear side and no part thereott is visible when viewing the front side of the base member when the holder is on a garment, said base member intermediate theends of the arm having a part which is disposed substantially transverse to the arm,

which extends transversely beyond both sides of the arm and which is adapted to engage the inside periphery of the ring disposed in the loop or slot to prevent removal of the ring from the holder when the holder is worn on the garment, and clasp means for attaching the ring holder to the garment, said clasp means being mounted on said arm on a side thereof other than the one opposite said rear side of the base member, said arm having a width less than the inside diameter of the ring carried by the holder, said arm with said clasp mounted thereon having a thickness less than the inside diameter of said 7 ring so that said ring may be'passedonto and oil. of

said arm.

. 2. A ring holder for placement on a garment worn by a person comprising a base member having a front side and a rear side which is adapted to be opposite the garment when the ring holder is Worn thereon,.an arm disposed on the rear side of the base member and having one end affixed to the rear side, said arm extending from said affixed one end outwardly away from said rear side, then back towards said rear side and running in an inclined direction toward said rear side and terminating with its other end disposed in abutting relationship with said rear side, that part of said arm extending from the aflixed one end'outwardly away from the rear side and then back towards it and said rear side forming a loop, said other end of the arm being free from connection with said rear side of the base member so that a shank of a ring can be passed between the other end of the arm and said rear side into said loop, said arm being so located on the rear side that it lies wholly on the rear side and no part thereof is visible when viewing the front side of the base member, said base member intermediatethe ends of the arm having a part which is disposed substantially transverse to the arm, which extends transversely beyond both sides of the arm and which is adapted to engage the inside periphery of the ring to prevent removalot the ring from the holder when the holder is worn on a garment and clasp means for attaching the ring holder to the garment, said clasp means being mounted on said arm on a side thereof other than the one opposite said rear side of the base member, said arm having a width less than the inside diameter of the ring carried by the holder, said arm with said clasp mounted thereon having a thickness less than the inside diameter of said ring so that said ring may be passed onto and 01f otsaid arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Merritt June 12, 1877 

